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KARACHI: Opener Imran Farhat has pulled out of Pakistan's tour to Zimbabwe, citing personal reasons, and has been replaced by the uncapped Shan Masood, Pakistani cricket chiefs announced Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Farhat has failed to cement his place in the Pakistan team in a turbulent 13-year career and has often been criticised for lack of consistency.

“Farhat has informed the Board and the national selection committee that due to domestic matters which require his immediate attention he will be unable to proceed to Zimbabwe with the team,” said a Pakistan Cricket Board release.

Farhat had been named in the Test squad for the tour starting on August 23, in which Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, three one-day internationals and two Tests.

“The selection committee has consulted and Masood has been selected to replace Farhat in the Test Squad,” the PCB said.

Farhat has so far played 40 Tests for Pakistan, the last of which was in South Africa in February this year.

Masood, 23, is a promising left-handed opener who has been scoring heavily in domestic cricket and has several tours under his belt with Pakistan's second string “A” team.

Comments (36) Closed

malik

Aug 13, 2013 08:00pm

A good Decision by Imran Farhat. At least the player himself has some sense of honor. Selectors are shameless

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Taimur

Aug 13, 2013 08:22pm

Good decision, we had enough of Mr. Farhat, years of attempts in the team but diddnt work. I dont think anyone else in country would have got so many chances. But sad to see selectors still ignoring Muhammad Yousuf to give him good farewell for all his services!!!! Shame to PCB.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Aug 13, 2013 09:31pm

It is in fact a blessing in disguise. He definitely needed a break.

During this time off from the game, he must ponder into his 'not so impressive' on and off the field performances as an opening batsman of the Pakistani cricket team since last 12 or 13 years or so that he has been able to represent his country at the top level. In my personal opinion, his brother Humayun Farhat is more talented than him. Mind it, Humayun is also a wicket-keeper and if he was provided the same number of chances to represent 'green-shirts' at the top level like Imran Farhat, he would have won more laurels and established better records with much impressive performances than Imran Farhat.

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Adulaziz

Aug 13, 2013 09:39pm

One down one left

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ishaq

Aug 13, 2013 09:42pm

Farhat is son-in-law of a PCB official thats why he still lingers on despite poor prevalent performance.

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Syed W. Ali

Aug 13, 2013 09:46pm

Dear Farhat,

May you live long and prosper ... away from the batting pitch. Jazak-Allaho Khairun for stepping aside as this may stand as the greatest contribution from you for Cricket Pakistan.

-Syed

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ahmed i rana

Aug 13, 2013 09:56pm

that is best news for Pakistan cricket and for his father in law

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Waqas Siddiqi

Aug 13, 2013 09:57pm

Thanks Imran Farhat, its your personal favour to the Nation, the fans and to the Test Cricket! Atleast we as cricket fans have something different to look forward from Shan, as we all know what you would have done!

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ahmed i rana

Aug 13, 2013 09:57pm

that is the best news for pakistan cricket and his father in law

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AunyBravo

Aug 13, 2013 11:50pm

May be there is a bit Gharaat left in him...........Shukaar Alhamdulliah

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optimist

Aug 13, 2013 11:54pm

Great news. But Fawad Alam should have been considered. I remember the day when a selector Mohammad Ilyas created history by resigning when the chief selector Mohsin Hassan Khan selected Fawad Alam against his recommendation. Ilyas was insisting that his son-in-law Imran Farhat should be part of the team. Later when Ilyas became chief selector, Imran Farhat became an automatic choice for all tours and he failed miserably in all of them.

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Mustafa

Aug 14, 2013 12:36am

Thank you Farhat.

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Afif

Aug 14, 2013 12:48am

Good. No one wants you in the team.

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Saad

Aug 14, 2013 01:02am

Good riddance...!

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Ahmed

Aug 14, 2013 01:13am

Good that he listened to thousands of voices against his selection. His initial selection was a shame to selectors because Farhat was given many chances and he failed. Let it be known that only performance and fitness
will be selection criteria.

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aamir

Aug 14, 2013 01:16am

tragic indeed... a good player the only one to come out of disastrous South Africa tour with flying colours, he is good against pace. To me he looks as a gentleman and as such i think he has pulled out for genuine pprinciple ...unlike Faisal Iqbal...

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Indusonian

Aug 14, 2013 02:00am

Thank God, now I believe prayers can be answered. I hope he is axed for the future from national team as well.

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Harris

Aug 14, 2013 02:36am

Ya Allah tera shukar!!!

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shakir

Aug 14, 2013 03:23am

Thank you Farhat. I wish you would have used your pst performance and poor technique as the reason but we'll accept it as long as you are not playing. I wish good health for your wife.

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Ali Khan

Aug 14, 2013 03:32am

It goes on to prove that no matter how many times these batsmen fail,we have no choice but to forgive them and select them again.

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ishrat husain MDFACS

Aug 14, 2013 03:51am

its about time,what a hopeless performance,i still cant understand the brain waves in people who are on slection committee.brain scans will be a good start.

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Haroon

Aug 14, 2013 06:10am

Its a blessing in desguis......... shame on PCB they should have rested senior players and given a chance to young blood.. Look at Indian side....... I dont know when would conservative approach change..... God help our nation

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Fen

Aug 14, 2013 07:50am

Umar Akmal,Harish Sohail,Taufeeq Umar are too good players to be kept out of test team.Faisal Iqbal should be out of team.

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Nadeem Mirza

Aug 14, 2013 09:27am

At least some one has little sense and pride. Now Mohammad Hafiz should also withdraw from test squad if he has little pride left. Selection committee had another chance to right the wrong they did with Nasir Jamshed and Umar Akmal but they again blew it!

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Scud

Aug 14, 2013 09:43am

Blessing in disguise!!

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Gulzar

Aug 14, 2013 10:19am

Pulls out or Pushed out not clear. But we have to be thankful to some one.

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Mike

Aug 14, 2013 10:20am

Thank you for leaving!

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Ali Vaqar Awan

Aug 14, 2013 10:39am

Its a great relief that Imran Farhat has withdrawn himself from Zimbabawe tour. He has never delivered so far in his horrific 13 year career. Even his stats and current form do not give solid reading. The day Imran Farhat retires for good it will be greatest ever relief for Pakistan cricket and our team.

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Nasim khan

Aug 14, 2013 02:25pm

Thanks God, that he himself decided not tour, at least he showed some courage and decided to opt out of the tour due to his personal reasons, but it is laudable, he is not a bad player, there were some worst players have survived in the pakistan team, but he lacks commitment and focused, what i believe, he is like Rohit Sharma as per attitude wise, but Rohit is much talented players and technically very sound, all the best to Masood

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A. Khan

Aug 14, 2013 03:03pm

Why is this such big news ? Farhat should retire from international cricket as his performance has been sub-par for many years. Yet because of the shortage of talented crickets, the selectors keep bringing him back or is it because he has the right connections ?

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ishrat husain MDFACS

Aug 14, 2013 05:02pm

@Taimur:
agree100%

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saghir

Aug 14, 2013 06:13pm

He should have admitted long before. Now he is doing because it id mandatory for his term.

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Dilawer

Aug 14, 2013 08:26pm

@malik: No he does not have any sense of honor or shame. He is after all a Pakisani who knows only one thing and that is corruption.

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Dilawer

Aug 14, 2013 08:27pm

Imran Farhat or his father-in-law has no shame and no sense of honor. His father-in-law should resign from PCB. PCB should amend their constitution to discourage the prevalent nepotism